Mailbox Monday-- Down to a Trickle

My favorite weekly meme is on tour. For the entire month of November you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on Knitting and Sundries. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Julie!

I've been busy making Christmas ornaments and doing a bit of work on the blog (mostly behind-the-scenes sorts of things), so it's been rather quiet on the book front. If a few hadn't come through on my Paperback Swap (PBS) wish list, I would've been bookless last week-- something that's unheard of. I sent 2 books to new Paperback Swap foster homes and received 3. Here's the scoop on the three books I received:

Dying Fall by Judith Cutler (PBS). "Sophie Rivers has a job she enjoys, a satisfying life and a close circle of friends. Then things go suddenly wrong; one of her students is murdered on college premises, and her best friend George meets a tragic end which everyone believes to be an accident - everyone, that is, except Sophie." Judith Cutler has been one of my favorite crime fiction writers for several years now, but her books are difficult to find over here in the US. I'm always thrilled when I can get my hands on one!

The Arsenic Labyrinth by Martin Edwards (PBS). "DCI Hannah Scarlett returns to crack open another cold case. Ten years after the disappearance of a local woman, Emma Bestwick, a stranger comes to the Lake District and offers up tantalizing clues that could lead to a solution to the mystery. Meanwhile, historian Daniel Kind is researching the life of John Ruskin, the nineteenth-century poet, art critic, and philosopher. As usual, Scarlett's mystery and Kind's research intersect, this time at the Arsenic Labyrinth, a group of mining tunnels built by friends of Ruskin that could hold the answer to Emma's disappearance. And let's not forget the mysterious stranger: villain or concerned citizen? The Scarlett-Kind novels rely heavily on their beautiful Lake District setting, but Edwards never lets the atmosphere outshine the stories." Another excellent series and writer that can be difficult to obtain. Once again, I'm tickled at getting this book!

Shadow Pass by Sam Eastland (LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program). "It is 1939. The world stands on the brink of Armageddon. In the Soviet Union, years of revolution, fear and persecution have left the country unprepared to face the onslaught of Nazi Germany. For the coming battles, Stalin has placed his hopes on a 30-ton steel monster, known to its inventors as the T-34 tank, and, the 'Red Coffin' to those men who will soon be using it. But the design is not yet complete. And when Colonel Nagorski, the weapon's secretive and eccentric architect, is found murdered, Stalin sends for Pekkala, his most trusted investigator. Stalin is convinced that a sinister group calling itself the White Guild, made up of former soldiers of the Tsar, intend to bring about a German invasion before the Red Coffin is ready. While Soviet engineers struggle to complete the design of the tank, Pekkala must track down the White Guild and expose their plans to propel Germany and Russia into conflict." Looks like this one is being published in the UK as The Red Coffin, so be careful!

That's it for this week. Now it's time for me to start roaming the Internet, checking out the other participants' goodies. This is fun!

Mailbox Monday-- The Mail Carrier Must Hate PBS

My favorite weekly meme is on tour. For the entire month of November you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on Knitting and Sundries. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Julie!

As is often the case, I'll think a slow book week is coming... and then a bunch of books come through on my PBS wish list. I'm not complaining because I love receiving books. I'd just love to report once-- just once-- that I received zero books one week. I think it would be fun to listen to all the stunned silence!

I sent 3 books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes and received 8-- all from that same source. Here's the scoop on the books I received:

1. Takeover by Lisa Black (PBS). "When high-level executive Mark Ludlow is discovered beaten to death in front of his house in Cleveland early one morning, forensic scientist Theresa MacLean and her fiancé, homicide detective Paul Cleary, investigate. Paul immediately heads downtown to interview Ludlow's co-workers at the Federal Reserve Bank and walks right into a botched robbery attempt and hostage situation. Lucas Parrish and Bobby Moyers want $4 million, but top hostage negotiator Chris Cavanaugh isn't ready to give in to their demands. When Paul is shot in the leg and becomes a hostage, Theresa breaks protocol and convinces Lucas to let Paul go and take her instead. It's up to Theresa on the inside and Chris on the outside to uncover the motive behind the robbery and Ludlow's murder before anyone else gets hurt."
2. Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush by Lael Morgan (PBS). "Klondike Kate Rockwell, a good-time girl with a heart of gold, came to the Yukon in 1900 to find wealth and fame in the same mad scramble for gold that had lured many an adventurous young man. Her story of money made and lost, of multiple marriages and scandal, is one of the many similar tales chronicled in this well-researched and deftly written work by journalist Morgan. Women who followed the gold fever trail from Dawson to Nome to Fairbanks may have shared their male counterparts' ambition and courage, but their means of achieving success were severely limited. Legally unable to stake a claim or own a saloon, most chose to make their fortunes by "mining the miners." Some became showgirls and prostitutes, others became rich through marriage or multiple liaisons, while still others led lives of desperation culminating in murder or suicide. Although there is a sadly repetitive quality to the accounts, this work's unique perspective and splendid period photos make it a recommended purchase for academic and public libraries." (Or folks like me!)
3. A Small Death in the Great Glen by A.D. Scott (PBS). "The time, 1956, is fairly calm but close enough to WWII to have residents still recovering from its devastating effects. The main characters cluster in the tiny newspaper offices of the Highland Gazette, a local weekly that is supposed to concentrate on livestock prices, auctions, and obits. Scott brings back the sounds of a precomputerized newsroom, the smells of ink and acid, and the feel of banging out stories on an old Underwood. When a little boy is found murdered in the canal just outside the village, the newspaper’s new editor in chief recruits the part-time typist, whose daughters know the murdered child, to help him investigate the case. They uncover a host of secrets and a number of people with a vested interest in keeping the mystery of the boy’s death unsolved."
4. Wake by Lisa McMann (PBS). "In Lisa McMann's first title in a projected series, we are introduced to 17-year-old Janie who has a rare ability to see other people's dreams whether she wants to or not. The episodes are growing more frequent, and the dreams she falls into vary from boring to sexy to disturbing. When she is drawn into a classmate's nightmare, Janie is forced to address her ability and how it may affect her future."
5. Harmony in Flesh and Black by Nicholas Kilmer (PBS). "First-timer Kilmer has concocted a certified winner featuring secretive Beacon Hill art collector Clayton Reed and his man-of-the-world assistant, Fred Taylor. Since they suspect that an uninteresting New England landscape destined for auction may have been painted over a "lost" Vermeer, they scheme to win the work without competition. Meanwhile, when Fred picks up another painting purchased by Reed, the two become unwittingly involved in the murder of a seedy photographer. Dry wit, unruffled prose, and uncomplicated plot recommend this title."
6. Deadly Sin by James Hawkins (PBS). "Emotions run high when Queen Elizabeth II attempts to heal the schism between Christians and Muslims by attending a London mosque for Friday prayers. David Bliss, newly returned to duty while he tries to find a publisher for his novel, has the task of protecting the royal couple, but is caught off guard when an attack comes from an unexpected quarter. Meanwhile, Bliss's aging friend Daphne Lovelace needs help. Her elderly neighbours have died and apparently left their house to the family from hell. While Bliss desperately tries to protect the queen, Daphne puts on her oldest coat and takes up residence in a seniors' home as she tries to discover what really happened to her neighbours. Age apparently catches up with her, and in no time she appears as senile as the other inhabitants, but Trina Button in far-off Canada smells a rat and forces Bliss to take action."
7. Chapter & Hearse by Lorna Barrett (PBS). "Mystery bookstore owner Tricia Miles has been spending more time solving whodunits than reading them. Now a nearby gas explosion has injured Tricia's sister's boyfriend, Bob Kelly, the head of the Chamber of Commerce, and killed the owner of the town's history bookstore. Tricia's never been a fan of Bob, but when she reads that he's being tight-lipped about the 'accident', it's time to take action."
8. Deadly Will by Marion Moore Hill (PBS). "History meets mystery in this clever novel in which the American Revolution, murder, and antiques all play a part. In 1789, Nathan Henry, neighbor of Benjamin Franklin, drafts a will modeled on Franklin's, leaving his fortune and possessions to all of his future descendants alive in two hundred years. In 2001, single mother Millie Kirchner, poor and virtually alone, is summoned to Philadelphia to learn about her inheritance in an elaborately staged weekend the trustees have designed in accordance with Mr. Henry's wishes. At first, Millie is thrilled to tour Philadelphia, but before long her thrills turn to chills as one by one the other heirs are killed. Unable to trust anyone, she must find the killer or risk becoming his next victim."

Good Time Girls is a gorgeous book, and I love reading about the Gold Rush. I've been in the Great Glen more than once and always love a good book about the Highlands. Lorna Barrett's Booktown mysteries are always good. What's a bookaholic to do?

Now comes the fun part-- going to see what glorious books everyone else received!

Mailbox Monday-- Relatively Quiet on the Southwestern Front

My favorite weekly meme is on tour. For the entire month of November you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on Knitting and Sundries. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Julie!

It's been a relatively quiet week here at Casa Kittling, which-- after the recent weeks of book buying-- is a very good thing.

I sent 5 books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes and received 3. Here's the scoop on the three books that I found in my mailbox:

1. The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey by Walter Mosley (LibraryThing Early Reviewer program). "Ptolemy Grey is a 91-year-old man, suffering from dementia and living as a recluse in his Los Angeles apartment. With one foot in the past and the other in the grave, Ptolemy begins to open up when Robyn Small, a 17-year-old family friend, appears and helps clean up his apartment and straighten out his life. A reinvigorated Ptolemy volunteers for an experimental medical program that will restore his mind, but at hazardous cost: he won't live to see 92. With the clock ticking, Ptolemy uses his rejuvenated mental abilities to delve into the mystery of the recent drive-by shooting death of his great-nephew, Reggie, and to render justice the only way he knows how, goaded and guided by the memory of his murdered childhood mentor, Coydog McCann."  This book will be released on November 11. I've already read it, and all I can say is that Ptolemy Grey is a wonderful character!
2. A Cotswold Ordeal by Rebecca Tope (PBS). "Thea Osborne embarks on her second housesitting assignment with very few worries, after her first disastrous venture during which she became entangled in a murder case. But the Phillips are obviously a laid back family, and there is little to do but tend an ailing pony and feed various furry pets and farmyard birds. However, it seems Thea is jinxed as an apparent suicide takes place in one of the barns."
3. Dear Hearts and Gentle People by Ruth Park (PBS). "Dear Hearts and Gentle People is a playful pastorale set in a New Zealand country town in the late 1920s, where folk, full of simplicities and ironies, had an unspoken resolution to remain European in outlook, despite the besieging ferny hills, wild flax swamps, and the twilit forest of a Maori sorcerer."

Now the fun part: going to see what everyone else received in their mailboxes!

Mailbox Monday-- One Thing Led to Another

My favorite weekly meme is on tour. For the entire month of October you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on She reads and reads. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Avis!

I almost had a good week... until I decided to buy a Cuisinart loaf pan from Amazon. One loaf pan led to purchasing an art book and a couple of slow cooker cookbooks, and... eh! You know the drill already! I sent 5 books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes and received 4. (Which sounds good unless you remember the book buying I've done the past two weeks.)

Here's the scoop on the books that made their way into my mailbox last week:

1. The Indian Slow Cooker by Anupy Singla (Amazon). "This unique guide to preparing Indian food using classic slow-cooker techniques features more than 50 recipes, beautifully illustrated with full-color photography throughout. These great recipes take advantage of the slow cooker's ability to keep food moist through its long cooking cycle, letting readers create dishes with far less oil and saturated fat than in traditional recipes. Anupy Singla shows the busy, harried family that cooking healthy is simple and that cooking Indian is just a matter of understanding a few key spices. Her "Indian Spices 101" chapter introduces readers to the mainstay spices of an Indian kitchen, as well as how to store, prepare, and combine them in different ways. Among her 50 recipes are all the classics — specialties like dal, palak paneer, and gobi aloo — and also dishes like butter chicken, keema, and much more. The result is a terrific introduction to making healthful, flavorful Indian food using the simplicity and convenience of the slow cooker."
2. The Scent of Rain and Lightning by Nancy Pickard (PBS). "When she was just three years old, Jody Linder lost both parents in one night, when her father, Hugh Jay—eldest son of the wealthiest rancher in the small town of Rose, Kansas—was killed and her mother, Laurie, vanished. Raised by grandparents, Hugh Senior and Annabelle Linder, and with loving support from three uncles, Jody spends years collecting human detritus around the area’s towering Testament Rocks, where authorities once searched for clues to Laurie’s disappearance. Jody’s world is rocked 23 years later when Billy Crosby, the vicious drunk convicted of her father’s murder on circumstantial evidence, is released for a new trial; his return to town brings events to a head."
3. Quiltscapes II by Rebecca Barker (Amazon). "Full-page photos of Rebecca Barker's remarkable and colorful acrylic paintings capture the images of traditional quilts imaginatively integrated into landscapes, seascapes, still lifes and farm scenes. Instructions are given for making the block or blocks featured in each painting. The more than two dozen full-sized pieced and appliqued blocks include Vermont Maple Leaf, Poppy, Prairie Flower, Dove in the Window, Lady of the Lake, Windblown Star, Waves of the Sea, Flower Basket, and more. Just looking at the exquisite photographs is a delight. And having quilt block patterns to sew is a wonderful bonus. This book would make a great gift for quilters and non-quilters alike."
4. The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone (Amazon). "Finally a book that combines the fresh, exuberant flavors of great Italian food with the ease and comfort of a slow cooker. Michele Scicolone, a best-selling author and an authority on Italian cooking, shows how good ingredients and simple techniques can lift the usual "crockpot" fare into the dimension of fine food. Pasta with Meat and Mushroom Ragu, Osso Buco with Red Wine, Chicken with Peppers and Mushrooms: These are dishes that even the most discriminating cook can proudly serve to company, yet all are so carefree that anyone with just five or ten minutes of prep time can make them on a weekday and return to perfection."

There you have it: what I found in my mailbox last week. (I do have to admit that I purchased the book on Italian slow cooking because of several reviews I've read on various blogs.)  I think this might very well be a first for me because this time crime fiction was not the primary resident of my mailbox.

Hopefully your interest is piqued on a title or two. Perhaps you've even made a note about possible Christmas gifts for readers on your lists.

Now comes the fun part: checking out all the other participants' goodies in their mailboxes!

Mailbox Monday-- The Wagon Backed Up & Did It Again

My favorite weekly meme is out and about. For the entire month of October you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on She reads and reads. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Avis!

Last week I sent 4 books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes, and I received 9 new books-- mainly because I had a Bookcloseouts coupon burning a hole on my desk. I mean... what self-respecting bookaholic would be able to resist a coupon which states "Buy $35 worth of books and get $7 off"? I bought 9 books-- including 4 hardcovers-- for under $40 including shipping. As we say back home, you can't beat that with a stick!

Here's the rundown on what was in that box I found on my doorstep:

1. Five Days in Summer by Kate Pepper. "Before the long drive home from vacation, Emily Parker made a quick run to the grocery store... and disappeared. But as her husband and a retired FBI profiler scour the Cape for her, Emily's thoughts are not on her own safety. Kept helpless in a madman's lair, she watches him prepare a five-day countdown that will bring him to his real victim-her seven-year-old son...."
2. Fisherman's Bend by Linda Greenlaw. "Former Dade County, Fla., chief detective is seeking her roots and a slower pace of life in her coastal childhood hometown of Green Haven, Maine. Starting over as a marine investigator for an insurance company, Jane happens upon the body of alcoholic cod fisherman Nick Dow, who washes ashore with a crushed skull beneath the docks of the fish plant Jane means to assess. The state police don't suspect foul play, but she does. Chasing the murderer, Jane becomes an accidental stowaway aboard a boat that heads into a fierce storm at sea."
3. Death Wore White by Jim Kelly. "At 5:15 pm Harvey Ellis was trapped - stranded in a line of eight cars by a blizzard on a Norfolk coast road. At 8:15 pm Harvey Ellis was dead - viciously stabbed at the wheel of his truck. For DI Peter Shaw and DS George Valentine it's only the start of an infuriating investigation. The crime scene is melting, and the murderer has vanished."
4. Mystery Man by Colin Bateman. "He's the Man With No Name and the owner of No Alibis, a mystery bookshop in Belfast. But when a detective agency next door goes bust, the agency's clients start calling into his shop asking him to solve their cases. It's not as if there's any danger involved. It's an easy way to sell books to his gullible customers and Alison, the beautiful girl in the jewellery shop across the road, will surely be impressed. Except she's not -- because she can see the bigger picture. And when they break into the shuttered shop next door on a dare, they have their answer. Suddenly they're catapulted along a murder trail which leads them from small-time publishing to modern dance to Nazi concentration camps and serial killers...."
5. Rural Britain Then & Now: A Celebration of the British Countryside Featuring Photographs from the Francis Frith Collection by Roger Hunt. "Francis Frith began to take his striking photographs of rural Britain in 1860. Over the next 50 years, he and his team of photographers took thousands of pictures capturing the special charm of the British countryside—its churches and castles, its quaint villages and rolling hills, its peaceful vistas and haunted ruins, as well as its unpretentious, hard-working people. Now, side-by-side with contemporary photos taken a century or more later, these images offer an evocative record of a century of social change, as well as vivid testimony to Britain’s enduring beauty."
6. Sanctuary by Ken Bruen. "Soul-sick former Garda detective Jack Taylor is ready to move to America. Nearly everyone he ever cared about is dead. Former friends despise him. Even a letter from an apparent psycho threatening the lives of cops, a nun, a judge, and a child can’t change his plans. But when Ridge, his former partner, is diagnosed with cancer, he stays to support her: 'It’s God’s own vicious joke, the only woman I managed to keep in my life was gay.' Eventually, Taylor rouses himself to find the killer."
7. The Blood Detective by Dan Waddell. "In a London cemetery, a man’s body is found. During the autopsy, the police discover the body has been marked with a string of letters and numbers that appears to be the code for a particular file in the Family Records Centre. To locate the file and unearth its relevance to the murder, police engage the services of Nigel Barnes, a professional genealogist. So begins the first installment of what one hopes will be a series featuring Barnes, a wily and likable amateur sleuth. This is journalist Waddell’s first novel, but it reads like it was written by a seasoned pro, sharply plotted and populated by three-dimensional people. The story is intricate, and readers will appreciate the care Waddell takes to incorporate Barnes’ profession into the mystery."
8. Manna from Hades: A Cornish Mystery by Carola Dunn. "Eleanor Trewynn, a widow who traveled the world with her husband, is now living in Port Mabyn, a small Cornish fishing village, where she runs a secondhand store that supports a charity. Her niece, Megan Pencarrow, is a recently promoted detective sergeant now assigned to a local station. Unfortunately for Megan, her DI does not approve of women on the police force. He also does not like Megan’s aunt, who rather enjoys baiting him. When Eleanor and the vicar’s wife find the dead body of a scruffy-looking young man in the stockroom of the shop, Eleanor becomes involved in the investigation. Then, after some donated jewelry that they thought was paste turns out to be very expensive and stolen in a London robbery, everyone assumes that the two cases are related."
9. Inspector Ghote's First Case by H.R.F. Keating. "Newly minted police inspector Ghote is summoned by Sir Rustom Engineer, the former Bombay police commissioner, to find out why the pregnant Iris Dawkins, who seemed the epitome of the contented young housewife, would shoot herself at the hill station of Mahableshwar. In uncovering the often sad facts of Dawkins's background, Ghote delicately navigates the minefields of touchy British officials, jealous and stupid subordinates, and frightened and obstructive servants while worrying about the impending arrival of his first child back home."

I think I've got all this book buying out of my system, and now that I have, I'd just about bet the farm that a ton of books from my Paperback Swap wish list will begin winging their way to my mailbox.

Am I complaining? What do you think?

I've shared my goodies, so now it's time to get out and about to see what all the other participants received!

Mailbox Monday-- Thrown By the Wagon Again

Mailbox Monday is on tour! That's right-- my favorite weekly meme is out and about. For the entire month of October you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on she reads and reads. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Avis!

If golfball-sized hail, high winds and torrential rains are what thrill you, you would've loved being at Casa Kittling last week when The Storm hit Phoenix. That main cloud looked like pure evil, and some of the television weather forecasters were referring to it as The Mother Ship. Although our yard and pool were flooded and the roof over the family room leaked, damages were very light here compared to many others. But you didn't stop by for the weather report, did you?

Last week I sent 7 books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes and received 13. Thirteen? Yup. That's because the wagon threw me off. (That's my story and I'm sticking to it!) Here's the rundown on the books I found in my mailbox:

1. Wild Penance by Sandi Ault (PBS). "The fourth Jamaica Wild mystery finds the New Mexico Bureau of Land Management agent digging into an ancient religious cult that might not be so ancient after all. The story begins when Jamaica, out for a run one morning, sees a man falling into the Rio Grande Gorge—a man on a cross. Coincidentally, Jamaica happens to be working on a book about Los Penitentes, an old sect that practiced ritual crucifixion. And when a well-meaning but rather spooky priest suggests that Jamaica should stay far away from Los Penitentes, and when it looks like someone is trying to kill her, she figures the only way to put a stop to the weird goings-on is to plunge headlong into the investigation."
2. Last Act of All by Aline Templeton (PBS). "After serving time for the murder of her TV star husband, Helena Fielding returns to the isolated village of Radnesfield-a hateful place where her selfish, philandering, and now dead husband settled out of spite. Her current husband, a village native, throws a welcome-home party, but murder arrives as an uninvited guest."
3. Blood Ties by Lori G. Armstrong (Alibris). "Julie Collins is stuck in a dead-end secretarial job with the Bear Butte County Sheriff’s office, and still grieving over the unsolved murder of her Lakota half-brother. Lack of public interest in finding his murderer, or the killer of several other transient Native American men, has left Julie with a bone-deep cynicism she counters with tequila, cigarettes, and dangerous men. The one bright spot in her mundane life is the time she spends working part-time as a PI with her childhood friend, Kevin Wells. When the body of a sixteen-year old white girl is discovered in nearby Rapid Creek, Julie believes this victim will receive the attention others were denied. Then she learns Kevin has been hired, mysteriously, to find out where the murdered girl spent her last few days. Julie finds herself drawn into the case against her better judgment, and discovers not only the ugly reality of the young girl’s tragic life and brutal death, but ties to her and Kevin’s past that she is increasingly reluctant to revisit."
4. Merry Hall by Beverley Nichols (Alibris). "Published in 1951, this example of "garden literature" relates how author Nichols constructed a massive garden on a run-down estate. Not a straight 'how-to,' Nichols's text also includes humorous portraits of the locals who both assist and frustrate his efforts. The text is buttressed with numerous black-and-white drawings."
5. A Back Room in Somers Town by John Malcolm (Alibris). "As an art dealer, Tim Simpson doesn't have the luxury of thinking only about aesthetics; he may have an artist's heart, but it had better be covered with a businessman's pinstripes if he s going to turn a profit. With that skill-set, Simpson's new job seems ideal: He's been hired by a London merchant bank to buy art -- as an investment -- for its obscenely wealthy clients. The first painting he sees, though, won't make anyone rich. It has a real appeal, but the artist -- a one-time protegee of Walter Sickert's -- has no collectible value. However, it seems somebody wanted the painting; within hours of Simpson's first viewing, the painting's been stolen and the dealer killed. Simpson pokes around to little effect -- sleuthing is not part of his skill-set -- but it isn't until the bank sends him to Brazil, on apparently unrelated business, that he solves the riddle."
6. Diamond Ruby by Joseph Wallace (Alibris). "Based on the true story of a lady pitcher who struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in exhibition play, this debut novel from nonfiction author Wallace is a diverting sports tale. In 1923, 18-year-old New Yorker Ruby Lee Thomas is forced to raise her two small nieces, Amanda and Allie, after the 1918 Spanish influenza devastates her family. Blessed (or cursed) with elongated arms that make for blazing fastballs, the southpaw is hired by the Fantasyland Circus Sideshow as Diamond Ruby. The Jewish pitcher draws the violent attention of the Klan, but also the admiration of Babe Ruth (a pitcher early in his career), who teaches her a few new throws, and boxing champion Jack Dempsey. The Brooklyn Typhoons eventually sign Ruby to pitch, where her amazing feats stir trouble with a charismatic gangster angling to fix her games; subsequent clashes and close calls with Prohibition-era hoodlums generate as much drama as her distinctive baseball prowess. Sharply sketched, convincing historical characters like Ruth and Dempsey add to the considerable appeal of Wallace's gritty but fun period baseball tale."
7. Jewels: A Secret History by Victoria Finlay (Alibris). "Inspired by the engagement ring she'd received from her fiance, Finlay set off on a journey that literally took her around the world intent on uncovering the history behind some of the planet's most valuable gems. Her investigation of amber takes her to a much--diminished mining town in Russia, where Stalin once had a gulag full of people to work the mines. Finlay visits with former pearl fishers in Scotland who used to search the rivers for mussels before they became endangered. In Egypt she discovers the truth about Cleopatra's legendary emerald mines, while in Burma she goes on a more personal journey to trace the roots of a sapphire her father bought for her mother. She lays out the myth of the supposedly cursed Hope diamond before debunking it as a tall tale made up by Pierre Cartier to make a sale. Part personal journey, part historical anecdote, this rich, comprehensive book will no doubt appeal to jewelry lovers curious about the story behind the sparkle."
8. Desert Lost by Betty Webb (Alibris). "Webb's sobering sixth mystery to feature PI Lena Jones further explores the abuses of polygamy first exposed in 2003's Desert Wives. Late one night, while staking out a Scottsdale, Ariz., storage yard in the hope of catching vandals, Lena hears suspicious sounds just outside the yard. She soon discovers the still warm body of a dead woman wearing a long calico dress—an obvious sister-wife (i.e., a woman who shared her man with numerous other women). With the nearest polygamist compound a five-hour drive away toward Utah, how did the victim wind up in Scottsdale? Lena, who suffered a troubled childhood as an orphan, gets on a trail that leads her to lost boys, surplus male teens expelled by the older men who run the polygamist cults. Clear-cut characterizations help a complicated plot flow smoothly. As Webb points out in a note, polygamy still spawns many social ills, despite the recent, well-publicized conviction of Mormon fundamentalist prophet Warren Jeffs."
9. The Fitzgerald Ruse by Mark de Castrique (Alibris). "At the start of de Castrique's winning second Sam Blackman mystery, the former U.S. military CID officer and his lover, Nakayla Robertson, are setting up a detective agency in Asheville, N.C. Their eccentric first client, Ethel Barkley, wants them to retrieve a lockbox she claims contains a purloined F. Scott Fitzgerald manuscript. Soon after Sam and Nakayla take possession of the sealed box, someone steals it from their office, killing a security guard in the process. The theft may be part of an attempt to maintain secrecy of an American fascist organization that flourished in the 1930s—or it may be rooted in the immediate past, as rogue Blackwater mercenaries (who cost Sam a leg in Iraq) come after the loot they imagine he stole from them. Ethel's subsequent murder raises the stakes."
10. Burial Ground by Malcolm Shuman (PBS). "From its laid-back cities and sleepy towns along the Mississippi to its picturesque yet treacherous bayous, Louisiana is a place rich in history--and history is Alan Graham's business. A contract archaeologist located in Baton Rouge, Dr.. Graham and his associates authenticate finds, preserve the riches of the past, and protect the historic sites of the South. A wealthy oil man hires Graham's firm to search for a possible Tunica Indian burial site that might be located on his newly acquired Louisiana plantation. To lend credence to his story, the client gives Alan a handful of ancient trinkets that were found on the land by a friendly yet evasive tenant. Alan accepts the assignment, but within days, the client is dead and the tenant is missing."
11. Let the Dead Lie by Malla Nunn (PBS). "It is 1953. A former police detective sergeant, Emmanuel Cooper is now working undercover on the docks of Durban Harbor to document police corruption for his old boss, Major van Niekerk. When Emmanuel comes across the body of a white slum kid, who ran errands in the port area, with his throat slit, he observes that the notebook the 11-year-old boy used to record orders is missing. The authorities regard Emmanuel as the prime suspect in this crime as well as in the subsequent murders of a landlady and her black maid, whose throats are also cut. Van Niekerk manages to get Emmanuel out of jail, but with a strict two-day deadline to find the real killer. Nunn deftly balances suspense and deduction as she offers a revealing glimpse into South African society under the segregation laws promulgated by the ruling National Party."
12. Feint of Art by Hailey Lind (PBS). "The first in a new mystery series starring art-forger-gone-good Annie Kincaid. Annie breaks the news to her curator ex-boyfriend Ernst: his museum's new $15 million Caravaggio is a fake. Then the janitor is killed, Ernst disappears, and a dealer makes off with several Old Master drawings. If she breaks the case using her old connections, Annie can finally pay the rent. But doing so could also draw her back into the underworld of forgers she swore she'd left behind." 
13. The Hangman's Row Enquiry by Ann Purser (PBS). "Ivy Beasley, the beloved cantankerous spinster from the Lois Meade mysteries, has found a silver lining in her golden years as an amateur sleuth. She teams up with Gus, a mysterious newcomer to the small English village of Barrington who can't resist a little excitement even as he strives to keep his past a secret, and her own cousin, a widow with time on her hands and money in her purse. Together they're determined to solve the murder of Gus's elderly neighbor."

Whew! Quite a haul, eh? It's another one of those times when I dearly wish I could read multiple books all at the same time (and still be able to retain what I read).

Have any of you read any of these titles? Would you recommend them? Did any of them sound good enough to put on your own wish lists? Do tell-- you know how nosy I am!


Now comes the fun part--- wandering the Internet looking at the books all the other participants received in their mailboxes!

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is on tour! That's right-- my favorite weekly meme is out and about. For the entire month of October you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on she reads and reads. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Avis!

The weather is very slowly cooling off, and I find myself wanting to do things like work out in the garden and cook. I don't particularly enjoy doing these things; they're just easier to accomplish when the temperatures don't resemble those of a blast furnace!

This past week, I sent 5 books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes, and I received 4. Here's the scoop on the four books I received:

1. Cobwebs and Cream Teas by Mary Mackie (Alibris). "When Mary Mackie's husband became Houseman at Felbrigg Hall, one of the stately homes of Britain's National Trust, she suddenly found herself Assistant Drain-Clearer, Doorbell-Answerer, Flower Arranger, and Rodent Exterminator. But leavening all the hard work were the exciting discoveries and the certainty that life would never be dull again."
2. Midwinter of the Spirit by Phil Rickman (PBS). "An early winter slices though the old city of Hereford, a body is found in the River Wye, an ancient church is desecrated, and there are signs of a dark ritual on the hill overlooking the city. Meanwhile, reports of psychic unrest in the city’s cathedral speak of an undying evil lying close to the heart of the Church of England. In this second electrifying tale, exorcist Rev. Merrily Watkins must tread in places where an intangible malevolence thrives uncurbed by the forces of law and order. Over the years, Phil Rickman has won high acclaim for his chilling supernatural tales, including Celtic thrillers as well as the Reverend Merrily Watkins Mysteries, featuring Britain’s first female exorcist. Meticulously researched, rich in historic detail, these atmospheric procedurals are all cracking–good reads." 
3. Getting Old Is Murder by Rita Lakin (PBS). "She’s not Miss Marple. Her friends are no Charlie’s Angels. Nevertheless, 75-year-old Gladdy Gold and her gang of eccentric Fort Lauderdale retirees are out, about, and hunting down a killer–one who is silently stalking them. Selma Beller was the first to go, but Gladdy and her neighbors never suspected murder until another of their friends died in an eerily similar way. Now a handsome young detective won’t listen to them, Hy Binder won’t stop telling them dirty jokes, and crazy old Greta Kronk is doing everything humanly possible to make herself into a suspect. But amid the endless rounds of poolside kibitzing, early-bird specials, bittersweet memories, and interminable grocery-shopping trips, Gladdy and her gals are about to discover how the murders are being committed. And when it comes to catching this culprit, time really is running out…."
4. Holy Hell by Elizabeth Sims (PBS). "Lillian Byrd is a small-time reporter with a flair for making big-time mistakes--so her investigation into the disappearances of women around the Detroit area might not be the best idea. But when one of the victims turns up dead and Lillian recognizes the curiously mutilated corpse, she is in too deep to get out. After simultaneously blowing the case for the police and revealing herself to the killers, she is completely on her own. Can she catch the murderers before they catch up with her?" 

Given my penchant for stately homes, Cobwebs and Cream Teas sounds like a natural. I'm giving the Merrily Watkins series another go, having had mixed emotions about the first. Getting Old Is Murder sounds as though it could be a hoot, and I'm looking forward to new-to-me author Elizabeth Sims.

What about you? Can you recommend any of these, or are they new-to-you as well? Do tell, because I value your opinions!

Now comes the fun part... traveling all over the Internet checking out the books all the other participants have received!

Mailbox Monday--- Keeping Me On My Toes

Mailbox Monday is on tour! That's right-- my favorite weekly meme is out and about. For the entire month of September you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on Bermudaonion's Weblog. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Kathy!

Autumn is still on hold here, with the strong possibility of more records being broken this weekend. Summer has decided to hang around, but then it's known to love the Sonoran Desert.

Other Paperback Swap (PBS) members certainly kept me on my toes this past week. While I received 4 books, I sent 15 books to new PBS foster homes. I hope they all enjoy the books as much as I did.

Here's the rundown on the four books I found in my mailbox:

1. King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild (PBS). "King Leopold of Belgium, writes historian Adam Hochschild in this grim history, did not much care for his native land or his subjects, all of which he dismissed as 'small country, small people.' Even so, he searched the globe to find a colony for Belgium, frantic that the scramble of other European powers for overseas dominions in Africa and Asia would leave nothing for himself or his people. When he eventually found a suitable location in what would become the Belgian Congo, later known as Zaire and now simply as Congo, Leopold set about establishing a rule of terror that would culminate in the deaths of 4 to 8 million indigenous people, 'a death toll,' Hochschild writes, 'of Holocaust dimensions.' Those who survived went to work mining ore or harvesting rubber, yielding a fortune for the Belgian king, who salted away billions of dollars in hidden bank accounts throughout the world. Hochschild's fine book of historical inquiry, which draws heavily on eyewitness accounts of the colonialists' savagery, brings this little-studied episode in European and African history into new light."
2. The Blind Man of Seville by Robert Wilson (PBS). "Inspector Jefe Javier Falcón is called out during Spain's Semana Santa festivities to probe the death of a prosperous Seville restaurateur, Raúl Jiménez. The deceased was found strapped to a chair with his eyelids removed, facing a television on which had been showing a video of him entertaining prostitutes. Jiménez's heart had failed as he struggled to escape. Falcón embarks on an investigation that will lead to the slayings of a hooker and an art dealer, and force the homicide cop into a game of wits against a killer obsessed with the contradictions between illusion and reality. Meanwhile, Falcón is himself obsessed with the long-secreted journals kept by his late father, a famous painter, whose brutal acts during the Spanish Civil War and subsequent hedonism in North Africa shaped Javier's life... and will make him the killer's next target."
3. A Timely Vision by Joyce and Jim Lavene (PBS). "Dae O’Donnell is the appealing heroine in this new mystery series by the Lavenes. She runs a collectible shop known as Missing Pieces, is the mayor of the small town of Duck, North Carolina, and specializes in finding lost things. She manages the latter because, on top of being a savvy and compassionate businesswoman, Dae also happens to be psychic. By simply touching the owner of lost things, she is able to find whatever is missing. One of the oldest residents of Duck, Miss Mildred, asks Dae to find her missing watch, but when a body turns up, Dae becomes involved in finding a murderer instead—and in proving that Miss Mildred couldn’t have been responsible for the crime."
4. The Adventures of Allegra Fullerton: Or, A Memoir of Startling and Amusing Episodes from Itinerant Life-- A Novel by Robert J. Begiebing (PBS). "A historian taking inventory of a Massachusetts archive stumbles across a kunstlerroman (artist novel) written by feisty Allegra Fullerton, who details her adventures as a traveling portrait painter in 19th-century New England. Begiebing presents Allegra's memoirs in formal, lustrous period language, and his meticulously evoked settings, dialogue and characters provide a seamlessly authentic entry into the era. Widowed in 1836 at the age of 20, Allegra returns to the New Hampshire farm where she was raised, but rather than endure the drudgeries of farm life, she decides to use her gift for creating 'true likenesses.' Accompanied by her brother Tom, who serves as her 'assistant-promoter-protector,' Allegra takes to the road to earn their livelihoods by 'limning' the features of both the living and the dead (through then-fashionable memorial portraits). Though clients are initially skeptical of the idea of a woman painter, Allegra's work speaks for itself, and soon they are flush from her commissions."

 Although King Leopold's Ghost fascinates me, I wouldn't be at all surprised if I picked up A Timely Vision first. I've been reading two extremely slow-moving chunksters in a row, and I desperately need something light and fun to cleanse the old palate!

How about you? Have you read any of these books? Would you recommend them? If they're new to you, do any of them look good enough to add to your own wish lists? Do tell!


Now comes the fun part: checking all the books other participants received last week. I always find something to add to my own wish list!

Mailbox Monday-- Autumn Is On Hold

Mailbox Monday is on tour! That's right-- my favorite weekly meme is out and about. For the entire month of September you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on Bermudaonion's Weblog. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Kathy!

I know many of you are familiar with putting books on hold at your local libraries, but here in the Sonoran Desert, it seems that someone put a season on hold. Although it's supposed to be autumn in a couple of days, we're breaking records. We'll break another one today if Mother Nature has her way-- 108°F. (42°C.). Stay in the pool with a good book and a cold drink, eh?

This week I started hauling myself back up on the restraint-in-book-buying wagon. I sent 12 books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes and received 4. Here's the scoop on the four that I pulled out of my mailbox:

1. Slipknot by Linda Greenlaw (PBS). "Jane Bunker gave up her law-enforcement job in Florida to become a marine consultant in Green Haven, Maine. She was hoping for a little quiet time, inspecting businesses for insurance-code violations, but what she found instead was a dead body, a murderous conspiracy, and a town where everybody seems to have a secret. The author, who lives in Maine (where she operates a lobster boat), does an excellent job of portraying a small town and its citizens. Her handling of the mystery elements of the story is less solid—she's guilty of a few rookie mistakes, such as making key plot points just a little too obvious—but she's a smooth writer, and Jane is a likable protagonist. Given room to grow, this series could enjoy a long life."
2. Buck Fever by Ben Rehder (PBS). "County game warden John Marlin and Sheriff Herbert Mackey lock horns when two dumb-and-dumber poachers accidentally shoot another idiotic guy wearing a deer costume. The poachers also wound a particularly rambunctious big-antlered buck, which just happens to be Marlin's former pet. Elsewhere in the county, a body is discovered beneath a shoddily repaired bridge, and a slick, drug-dealing Colombian comes looking for a game, ranch-owning, crooked lobbyist. This is a wild and crazy first novel, crowded with weird people, unusual relationships (both animal and human), and frequent humor that will appeal to fans of Carl Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey, and other comic mystery writers."
3. A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson (PBS). "The real star of this gripping and beautifully written mystery (which won the British Crime Writers' Golden Dagger Award for Best Crime Novel last year) is Portugal, whose history and people come to life on every page. Wilson tells two stories: the investigation into the brutal sex murder of a 15-year-girl in 1998, and the tangled, bloody saga of a financial enterprise that begins with the Nazis in 1941. Although the two stories seem unrelated, both are so strong and full of fascinating characters that readers' attention (and their faith that they will eventually be connected) should never waver. The author creates three compelling protagonists: middle-aged detective Jose Coelho, better known as Ze; Ze's late British wife, whom he met while exiled in London with his military officer father during the anti-Salazar political uprisings of the 1970s; and Ze's wise, talented and sexually active 16-year-old daughter. The first part of the WWII story focuses on an ambitious, rough-edged but likeable Swabian businessman, Klaus Felsen, convinced by the Gestapo to go to Portugal and seize the lion's share of that country's supply of tungsten, vital to the Nazi war effort. Later, we meet Manuel Abrantes, a much darker and more dangerous character, who turns out to be the main link between the past and the present. As Ze sifts through the sordid circumstances surrounding the murder of the promiscuous daughter of a powerful, vindictive lawyer, Wilson shines a harsh light on contemporary Portuguese society. Then, in alternating chapters, he shows how and why that society developed. All this and a suspenseful mystery-- who could ask for more?"
4. Waking the Ancients: A Novel of the Mogollon Rim by Gail Wanman Holstein (PBS). "Leah Ellis has been disturbed by her husband's behavior ever since they moved to Phoenix. Heir to a fortune back east, Branson now denounces his Philadelphia family. He is captivated by the ruins of ancient people who disappeared centuries ago and speaks of the Anasazi as if he knows them personally. His only possession is his medicine bundle, a spooky heap of fetishes, feathers, and bones. Branson's new mentor, a charismatic renegade archaeologist, does little to calm Leah's jitters. She remains devoted and supportive, however, until a camping trip to the massive Mogollon Rim with their children and her best friend turns into an outrageous experiment. Suddenly Leah must learn new skills: how to hunt with stone-age tools, how to live with ghosts. Most of all, she must control her fear and resentment. As nights turn frigid and the ponderosa forest grows lonelier, the little tribe's existence becomes a desperate struggle for survival. But Leah has her 'magic' from a cave, which might be powerful enough to summon the ancients to her rescue—if she lives long enough to use it." 

Have any of you read any of these four books? Would you recommend them? If they're new to you, did you add any of them to your own wish lists? Which ones? You know I'm nosy!

Now comes the best part: visiting all the participants to see what goodies they discovered in their mailboxes!

See you next Monday with another batch of lovelies from my mailbox!

Mailbox Monday-- The Book Tower

Mailbox Monday is on tour! That's right-- my favorite weekly meme is out and about. For the entire month of September you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on Bermudaonion's Weblog. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Kathy!

Anyone who's been reading this blog for any length of time knows that I'm trying to reduce the number of books I have in the house. That's one reason why I mention how many books I've sent out to other Paperback Swap (PBS) members each week. I'm keeping tabs on myself.

However, as anyone who's been around Casa Kittling knows... I can fall off the wagon from time to time. Last week was just such a time. I sent 3 books to new Paperback Swap foster homes, but I received 11.

"Hello. My name is Cathy, and I'm a bookaholic."

Here's the rundown on the books I found in my mailbox:

1. River Deep by Priscilla Masters (Amazon). "Life in Shrewsbury is normally calm and uneventful. However, when the River Severn bursts its banks, a body is discovered floating in a flooded cottage. Coroner Martha Gunn is one of the first to be called to the scene. In the fetid cottage Martha’s instincts tell her that this is a homicide -- a hunch borne out by the post mortem. The victim is presumed to be the cottage’s tenant, James Humphreys, who recently went missing. However, when asked to identify the body, his wife Cressida is adamant that it is not her husband. Martha Gunn is left with many perplexing questions. Who, then, is the victim? Why has he been murdered? And where has the real Mr. Humphreys gone?"
2. Shades of Death by Aline Templeton (PBS). "Animal torture, ritual murder, computer viruses and seemingly haunted underground caverns are the all part of the fun in Shades of Death, Aline Templeton's densely plotted thriller with supernatural overtones set in and around the caves of Derbyshire, England. The discovery of an 11-year-old girl's skeleton in one of the caves, and the ensuing investigation, leave the normally world-weary Det. Sgt. Tom Ward contemplating the possibility of ancient, diabolical forces."
3. Murder Passes the Buck by Deb Baker (Amazon). "When her neighbor Chester Lampi is shot and killed in his hunting blind, sixty-six-year-old widow Gertie Johnson seizes the opportunity to become a detective. Gertie is abetted (and hindered) in her investigation by her grandson Little Donny, man-hungry best friend Cora Mae, and volunteer bodyguard Kitty. It doesn't help that Chester's death has been ruled an accident by the sheriff of this backwoods community in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Or that Sheriff Blaze Johnson happens to be Gertie's son. Whether it's interrogating neighbors, spying, or impersonating the FBI-not to mention staying one step ahead of Blaze-Gertie will do whatever it takes to solve the case, even when the killer takes aim at her."
4. Queen of the Night by J.A. Jance (Amazon). "Dedicated to the late Tony Hillerman, Jance's brilliant fourth suspense novel featuring former homicide detective Brandon Walker and his wife, novelist Diana Ladd, spans some 50 years, from a murder in 1959 in San Diego to a rash of killings in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and Tucson, Ariz., in 2009. Interwoven with these crimes are legends of the Tohono O'odham Indians and the lives of such contemporary Native people as Lani Walker, Brandon and Diana's adopted daughter. Jance's masterful handling of a complex cast of characters makes it easy for the reader to appreciate the intricate web of relationships that bind them across generations. The title refers to the night-blooming Cereus, a desert plant that blooms once a year and is of great symbolic importance to the Tohono."
5. The Owl Killers by Karen Maitland (Amazon). "In the tiny English village of Ulewic in 1321, a struggle brews between the Owl Masters, who want to bring back pagan worship, and a group of pious Christian women, called beguines, who merely wish to be left in peace. Having suffered from floods and famine, the town takes bitter notice of the Christian women, who are continually spared. As suspicion grows, the Owl Masters find aid from an unlikely source, the village priest, who's determined to pursue the criminal women in order to hide his own sins."
6. Inspector Singh Investigates: A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul by Shamini Flint (Amazon).  "Inspector Singh is back, but this time on secondment to Bali. A bomb has exploded and Singh has been sent to help with anti-terrorism efforts. But there's a slight problem: he knows squat about hunting terrorists. He's much better suited to solving murder! So when a body is discovered in the wreckage, killed by a bullet before the bomb went off, Singh should be the one to find the answers - especially with the help of a wily Australian copper by his side. But simple murders are never as simple as they seem - and this one has far-reaching global consequences ..." 
7. Dream Queen by Betsy Thornton (Amazon). "Thornton's gripping sixth mystery featuring victim's advocate Chloe Newcombe charts her earlier years, long before she moved to Arizona. Two years after her older brother, James, died of AIDS in California, Chloe, then a New York City PI, travels to Dudley, Ariz., a small town where Tucson therapist Hal, James's surviving partner, has a home, and where Danny, her younger brother, has fallen for Kristi Marsh, a beautiful but troubled woman. Danny and Kristi meet Chloe at the airport, but en route to Dudley tragedy strikes--Danny disappears after they stop to fix his van at a garage while the two women wait at a diner across the street. Kristi also vanishes soon after they reach Hal's, but she's later found shot to death in a shack containing packages of a street drug called 'Dream Queen.' Kristi's stepfather, a therapist friend of Hal's, hires Chloe to investigate."
8. The Edge of Ruin by Irene Fleming (Amazon). "One day in 1909, Emily Weiss’s handsome and successful new husband, Adam, returns to their well-appointed Philadelphia home to tell her he’s sold everything they own, and they are going to New York to become independent movie producers. As he’s already signed a contract that will ruin them if not fulfilled, Emily agrees to go with him to New York and help him set up their movie company. But of course, it’s not that easy—all movie production is controlled by Thomas Edison and his partners in the Patent Trust who hold many of the major patents used in filmmaking. And they employ a team of often brutal detectives whose main job it is to go around and disrupt independent films, breaking cameras and even heads if necessary. With a colorful crew of actors, Adam and Emily head to Fort Lee, New Jersey where they set shooting the films to fulfill their contract. After evading Edison’s detectives a couple of times, one of them arrives on the set in time for a major crowd scene. And, while almost everyone’s back is turned, he is murdered. Now Adam sits in jail, charged with the crime, while Emily has to not only finish films but uncover the truth about the shocking murder."
9. A Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield (Amazon). "Littlefield's amusing, sassy debut introduces Stella Hardesty, a widow and survivor of domestic violence, who owns a sewing shop in a sleepy Missouri town. On the side, Stella solves problems and metes out justice on behalf of battered women, like Chrissy Shaw, whose abusive bully of an ex-husband, Roy Dean Shaw, Stella keeps tabs on. After Roy Dean absconds with Chrissy's baby, Stella learns he's involved with local mobsters in a stolen auto parts ring. Chrissy sheds her victimhood to team up with Stella and do battle. After girding up their weaponry, the unlikely crime-fighting duo trick their way into the home of Roy Dean's mob boss, who they suspect has Chrissy's son. Stella discovers that no amount of preparation and righteous anger can prevail over pure evil, at least not without loads of trouble. Spunky, unapologetically middle-aged and a tad cantankerous, Stella barges bravely and often unwisely into danger."
10. The Double-Jack Murders by Patrick F. McManus (Amazon). "Lucas Kincaid, an escaped killer, is planning to get even with Blight County Sheriff Bo Tully, who put him behind bars. Tully insists that the crazed Kincaid's being on the loose has nothing to do with him taking a little camping vacation with his father, Pap, and friend Dave Perkins. Tully figures the camping trip might draw out Kincaid, but his primary purpose is to try to solve the disappearance of gold miner Tom Link and his helper, Sean O'Boyle, in 1927. The two miners were exploring a vein of ore in the Snowy Mountains when they went missing. The college-educated Tully is no rube. An artist of considerable talent and a clever politician, he's also a backwoodsman who rambles through encounters with women, lawbreakers and abandoned mines with the sangfroid of the most sophisticated lawman. Plenty of unusual and colorful characters add to the fun."
11. Mad Mouse by Chris Grabenstein (Amazon). "Easygoing part-time summer cop Danny Boyle is hoping to be promoted to full-time rookie, so he pays close attention to his impressive partner, John Ceepak, a decorated Iraq War veteran whose extreme correctness and keen intelligence are matched by a low-key bigheartedness. Sea Haven is gearing up for a gigantic Labor Day celebration, and Danny is falling hard for Katie, but summer fun is cruelly interrupted by a sniper stalking Danny, Katie, and their friends, and leaving calling cards featuring Derek Jeter and comic-book superheroes. As the mayor pressures the cops to find this taunting killer before the holiday festivities begin, cool Ceepak and bumbling Boyle wield their superpowers: kindness, honesty, and courage."

Most of these books have been on my Paperback Swap wish list for so long that I had given up hope. The others are the latest by some of my favorite authors, and I just didn't feel like waiting for them. (Not that any of you know how that goes!)

I have no clue which one I'm going to reach for first. Maybe Murder Passes the Buck, since I've been waiting for it the longest, and it has the most memorable review quote: "Think Grandma Masur with a shotgun."

Have any of you read any of these books? Which ones would you recommend? Did any of you find titles to add to your own wish lists? Which ones? Do tell-- you know I love to find out these details!

Now it's time to go out and about to see the goodies in the other participants' mailboxes. I always find a title or two to add to my wish list, don't you?

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is on tour! That's right-- my favorite weekly meme is out and about. For the entire month of September you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on Bermudaonion's Weblog. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Kathy!

Unless the weather gets really screwy, in a couple of weeks, the butterflies will start migrating down from the mountains, and Denis and I know just where they like to stop to rest and refuel. Sounds like a perfect time to charge up the camera batteries!

As for more bookish matters, I sent 3 books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes and welcomed 6 new foster books to Casa Kittling. Here's some information about the ones I received:

1. Drawing the Line by Judith Cutler (PBS). "Lina Townend, the orphaned natural daughter of somebody, somewhere, has been in care all her life. For the first time, at nineteen, she’s pretty happy, living with kind-hearted antique dealer Griff, who combines the roles of grandfather and employer. But there is still something missing: she wants to find her real family, despite Griff’s fears that she may uncover things she’d rather not know. When Lina comes across a page from a rare sixteenth century book, Natura Rerum, which she remembers from early childhood, she snaps up the chance to buy it. She has a vivid memory of being taken as a child to a stately home, where a man she believes must have been her father gave her this book to keep her quiet. If she can locate the book, maybe she can find her father. However, in the weeks that follow, a series of violent burglaries and attacks make Lina realise that what she found might have been more than just a link to her father. Undeterred, she carries on in her dangerous search, but will it lead her to happiness, or bitter disappointment?"
2. Lamb to the Slaughter by Aline Templeton (PBS). "The fourth in Templeton's series to feature Scottish Detective Inspector Marjory Fleming finds Fleming's quiet community of Kirkluce divided by a plan to open a superstore that threatens local trade. Soon after Colonel Andrew Carmichael, the owner of property essential to the developer's proposal, receives a fatal shotgun blast to the chest, someone shoots young rowdy Barney Kyle in the back as he's riding his bike. While the motive for killing Kyle appears different, Fleming and her team find some suggestive links between the two victims."
3. Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay (Amazon Vine). "When she decides to auction her remarkable jewelry collection, Nina Revskaya, once a great star of the Bolshoi Ballet, believes she has finally drawn a curtain on her past. Instead, the former ballerina finds herself overwhelmed by memories of her homeland and of the events, both glorious and heartbreaking, that changed the course of her life half a century ago. It was in Russia that she discovered the magic of the theater; that she fell in love with the poet Viktor Elsin; that she and her dearest companions—Gersh, a brilliant composer, and the exquisite Vera, Nina’s closest friend—became victims of Stalinist aggression. And it was in Russia that a terrible discovery incited a deadly act of betrayal—and an ingenious escape that led Nina to the West and eventually to Boston. Nina has kept her secrets for half a lifetime. But two people will not let the past rest: Drew Brooks, an inquisitive young associate at a Boston auction house, and Grigori Solodin, a professor of Russian who believes that a unique set of jewels may hold the key to his own ambiguous past. Together these unlikely partners begin to unravel a mystery surrounding a love letter, a poem, and a necklace of unknown provenance, setting in motion a series of revelations that will have life-altering consequences for them all." (I've already begun reading this one, and all I can say is Wow! I had to force myself to come up for air!)
4. A Gift Upon the Shore by M.K. Wren (PBS). "Would the survivors of nuclear holocaust have any reason to go on living? That is the question that must be answered by two women who have lived through the final conflict and now face the devastating nuclear winter that follows it. Mary and Rachel, the only survivors in their area, believe that choice makes us human, and they choose to affirm their humanity by preserving whatever knowledge can still be saved. Desperately longing for companionship, they hope eventually to meet other survivors. But when contact finally comes, more hard choices come with it. Wren's novel is thought-provoking in its consideration of ordinary people forced to confront the unthinkable. While the plot is not without cliches, and characters are not always fully developed, the author's passionate concern with what gives life meaning carries the novel."
5. Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich (PBS). "In this tepid Stephanie Plum adventure, a personal case distracts the Trenton, N.J., bondswoman from tracking the usual group of eccentric skips--the kidnapping of her cousin, Vinnie, who's being held for ransom in the high six figures. As Stephanie, sidekick Lula, and office manager Connie soon realize, Vincent Plum Bail Bonds is seriously in the red due to Vinnie's gambling. Vinnie's also gotten caught up with local mobster Bobby Sunflower in a complicated scheme. Even though her sleazy cousin isn't her favorite person and chasing oddball felons isn't her ideal career, Stephanie knows family loyalty counts for something, plus she owes him for giving her a job all those years ago. So with Lula and Connie in tow--and romantic interests Morelli and Ranger lurking in the background-- Stephanie must save the day once again. Evanovich is at her best spinning the bizarre subplots involving Stephanie's bail jumpers, but the larger story simply recycles elements from previous installments."
6. A Fete Worse Than Death by Dolores Gordon-Smith (PBS). "Set in the early 1920s in England, the story features Major Jack Haldean, a writer who dabbles in solving crime. While visiting family in the countryside, Jack becomes involved in solving several murders. The murders end up affecting his own family--but they also date back to WWI."

 I'm really looking forward to Judith Cutler's book. She's been one of my favorite authors for a few years now. Aline Templeton writes one of my favorite mystery series. Kalotay has written a book that, so far, I don't want to put down.

The only book in the batch that I'm ambivalent about is Janet Evanovich's. Sometimes it seems to me that her lackadaisical writing proves that she's sick of the series-- but she doesn't want to miss out on all the money. This is just a personal opinion, so don't throw me in the slammer. I'll probably pick it up and skim it quickly to pass it on to other PBS members who still love the series the way I once did. Rather sad when the bloom is off the rose....

Time to get back to Russian Winter-- well, not quite. I have to go out and about to see the goodies other Mailbox Monday participants received within the last week. I always find something to add to my wish list!

Mailbox Monday-- Books, Hail and Moonlight

Mailbox Monday is on tour! That's right-- my favorite weekly meme is out and about. For the entire month of August you'll be able to find Mailbox Monday on Shanyn's blog, Chick Loves Lit. If taking a look at the books other people discovered in their mailboxes intrigues you, and if you'd like to participate, this just might be the meme for you. Thanks for hosting, Shanyn!

The weather this weekend held center stage. Saturday there was deep, rumbling thunder combined with blue skies and brilliant sunshine. Then a stray cloud spit out about ten drops, and that was it.

An hour later the thunder started again, but this time clouds did appear, and somewhere just south and west of Casa Kittling, a dam seemed to burst. Sheets of rain, pea-sized hail... and then golf ball-sized hail. Watching the hail hit the surface of the pool and then pop! up was amusing and took my mind off the ones that were battering the windows.

Now all is calm. The moonlight is so bright that I have the office blinds raised so I can watch the moon travel across the sky. But all this has nothing to do with books!

This past week, I sent 4 of my books to new Paperback Swap (PBS) foster homes, and I received 4 replacements. Here's the scoop on my new-to-me books:

1. Bad Manners by Marne Davis Kellogg (PBS).  "Lilly Bennett quits her California job as chief of detectives, returns to the family ranch in Roundup, Wyoming, and opens a security business. Buoyantly untarnished by her previous work, she enthusiastically investigates the murder of a hateful old man who pushed one daughter off the family foundation's board, kept the other in nose candy, and gave his affection to a rodeo mistress. In her return to the 'Old West', Bennett becomes a U.S. Marshall, unearths family peccadilloes, dates a real cowboy, and generally has a ball-- not bad for 45. A humorous, rambunctious, and lively debut."
2. American Road: The Story of an Epic Transcontinental Journey at the Dawn of the Motor Age by Pete Davies (PBS). "In 1919, a military convoy of 81 vehicles set out to travel the Lincoln Highway-- a line drawn on the map-- from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco. Essentially a PR ploy to dramatize the need for good roads, the 'First Transcontinental Motor Train' delivered. Trucks foundered in mud, crashed through wooden bridges, and got beaten to pieces on byways barely better than trails. Modern motorists will be surprised to learn just how bad things were back then, but the story behind the undertaking is equally interesting. Automobile and tire manufacturers, who stood to gain if newly car-crazy citizens had smooth roads to travel, managed to drive the government their way; the grueling journey captured the American imagination and spurred road building to a fervor."
3. Gimme More by Liza Cody (PBS). "Birdie Walker— rock widow, con-woman, aging wild child— now lives by her wits. Unsentimental self-interest sees her through, but no one could call it pretty. Twenty years ago, she and her now-deceased rock star lover were the most famous couple alive. The public treasures its outrageous memories, but she’s still the woman everyone loves to hate. Media darling, media demon, she fights with fame and infamy alike. But when music biz executives get wind that she’s hiding valuable, never-released tapes, Birdie learns exactly what it takes to survive them."
4. The Day of Small Things by Vicki Lane (from the author). "In the misty folds of Appalachia, the girl they call Least grows up cursed by her mother’s cruelty and blessed by her neglect. Deemed unfit to join the outside world, Least turns to the wisdom of the land, to voices she alone can hear, to legends left by native Indians, and to the arts of divination and healing. But the time comes when Least has to choose between a doting suitor and her childhood magic, between his church and her spirits. Now, as her life enters its final chapter, her world has been invaded by a violent criminal with a chilling plan. To stop him from committing an unspeakable crime—and to free an innocent child—the woman who was once Least must break long-held promises, draw on long-buried powers, and face a darkness no one else can even see."

The book that I'm most excited about in this batch (besides The Day of Small Things) is American Road, probably because Denis and I have spent so much time on trails of wildly varying conditions here in Arizona. I'd like to compare some of our experiences to theirs!

Do any of these books sound particularly good to you? Which ones?

Now comes the fun part-- traveling from blog to blog to see the books that everyone else discovered in their mailboxes!